2/19/2013 |
Uggla looking to rip with more consistencyThe early word out of Braves camp was that Dan Uggla was more ripped than ever -- a seemingly comical claim, given Uggla's notoriously Popeye-like physique.

2/19/2013 |
Bonderman trying to latch on with MarinersJeremy Bonderman hasn't thrown in a Major League game in nearly three years. The 30-year-old veteran is trying to win a job with the Mariners as a non-roster invitee.

2/19/2013 |
Lobstein striving to make big league jumpMore than two months after being a Rule 5 Draft pick, Tigers prospect Kyle Lobstein can sit in front of his locker at Joker Marchant Stadium -- admittedly a fan of nearby superstars like Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder -- with a realistic chance of breaking into the Majors after his first big league Spring Training.

2/19/2013 |
Harrison, now a star, hasn't forgotten his rootsMatt Harrison and his wife haven't forgotten their roots on Tobacco Road, and they are not about to leave now, not even after the kid who used to rise at dawn to help work the land has turned into one of the best pitchers in the American League.

2/19/2013 |
Kimbrel coming up aces on mound, golf courseMaybe it's too early to gauge Craig Kimbrel's recent hole-in-one as some sort of omen from above that the Braves closer is in line to repeat his 2012 performance, but, you know, it can't possibly hurt.

2/19/2013 |
Carrasco hoping to stick in Indians rotationCarlos Carrasco has seen enough of the locker issued to him inside the Indians' player development complex in Arizona. He is ready for a new one. A stall in Progressive Field back in Cleveland would be a nice change of scenery.

2/19/2013 |
Reimold looks to shed 'injury-prone' labelHe had hit long home runs, the kind that you hear off the bat before rocketing undoubtedly onto the other side of outfield walls, but this wasn't one of them. Nolan Reimold wasn't sure where the 1-1, 90-mph sinker he got a hold of from Angels righty Jerome Williams would end up, and he wasn't planning on watching.

2/19/2013 |
Rays believe Escobar's risk well worth rewardTrue Major League shortstops are hard to come by. So the Rays pulled the trigger on a deal to acquire Yunel Escobar from the Marlins when he became available. Apparently the Rays were enamored with Escobar for some time.

2/19/2013 |
Strawberry's Montreal home run stuff of legendA silver anniversary obscured somewhat by time, lack of clear video evidence and the absence of the Montreal Expos approaches. Twenty-five years ago on April 4, Darryl Strawberry hit the roof in Montreal.

2/19/2013 |
Machado, Braddock cleared for actionThird baseman Manny Machado and Minor League free agent pitcher Zach Braddock were both back in the Orioles' camp Tuesday after undergoing extra procedures that caused them to miss Monday's workouts.

2/19/2013 |
Detwiler makes it three Nationals to play in ClassicLeft-hander Ross Detwiler will pitch for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, joining teammate Gio Gonzalez on the American roster and making it a total of three Nationals to participate in the event.

2/19/2013 |
Ayala opts to skip World Baseball ClassicReliever Luis Ayala has decided not to pitch in the World Baseball Classic for Team Mexico, choosing instead to rest his pitching arm in preparation for the regular season.

2/19/2013 |
Tigers team to beat in AL Central, but foes awaitIf the Tigers are confident about their ability to defend their American League Central title, they have every right to be. But as last season showed, they will have their work cut out for themselves against the revamped Indians and the rest of their division foes.

2/19/2013 |
New season an opportunity to bounce back to formThe dawn of a new baseball season means a clean slate for players, a prospect that makes the beginning of Spring Training exhilarating for so many big leaguers. For certain players, however, that fresh-start excitement rings truer than for others.

2/19/2013 |
The Week Ahead: Let the games beginSo it's finally here. Actual baseball games in which there are winners and losers that count toward standings and hot dogs and beer and cotton candy sold in the stands and seventh-inning stretches will be played starting this Friday. That's when the Detroit Tigers meet the Atlanta Braves in the Major Leagues' first official Spring Training game of 2013.

2/18/2013 |
More than ever, each team has a chance to competeThere's still a smaller margin of error for small-market teams, but more than ever, every team has a chance to compete. That point hit home with a lot of general managers when 20 of 30 teams were within five games of a playoff berth at the All-Star break last summer and when Oakland and Baltimore grabbed postseason berths.

2/18/2013 |
Pomeranz won't let tough season bring him downThe pitches came with downward action. A few bats snapped trying to hit them. It was just the first day that Rockies pitchers faced hitters, but left-hander Drew Pomeranz began to erase the impression his work left last season.

2/18/2013 |
Torre has one last roster move to make for U.S.Final rosters for all 16 teams participating in next month's World Baseball Classic are due on Wednesday, and the last of the 28 spots to be filled for Team USA is pending, Joe Torre, the team's manager, said on Monday.

2/18/2013 |
Prospect Arenado feeling more confident this springRockies third-base prospect Nolan Arenado, who is likely to start the year at Triple-A Colorado Springs but is being given an opportunity to make the big club this spring, is lighter than he would like to be because of an illness he suffered just before camp. However, he doesn't expect his lack of weight to hurt him.

2/18/2013 |
Smyly brings big league know-how in bid for rotationDrew Smyly, 23, has seen his world change since he surprised the Tigers and won a spot out of Spring Training last season. As spring begins anew, he is in the same spot -- fighting for a rotation spot as an outsider.

2/18/2013 |
Zduriencik says team close to trading CarpMariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said Monday he was engaged with a "good number" of teams about Mike Carp, the outfielder-first baseman designated for assignment last week, and was closing in on a trade.